The Ripper in the Giles
by Alter Mann
Summary: Buffy has disappeared out of Sunnydale and her Watcher desperately tries to find her. Even the smallest piece of information is welcome - even if it comes from Ethan Rayne.


THE RIPPER IN THE GILES

Giles slammed the door shut and set up his coat collar against San Francisco`s chilly rain. It had already gotten dark outside as Giles battered Citroen had managed the two hours drive down from Sunnydale to San Francisco. Ethan would be there already. But Giles didn`t doubt that the old sourcerer had found some distraction to pass the time.

_To__hell__with__him_ Giles thought. What in the world had made him come here? The crumpled letter stating _"I__have__news__of__your__Slayer.__Come__alone"_ in Ethan` s well known handwriting?

_Will__the__bloody__bastard__never__get__out__of__my__life?_ the Watcher thought. A wave of anger rolled over him again. Only the thought of his Slayer had made him consider the message instead of burning it in the first place. But if this was one of Ethan`s little tricks, the sorcerer would pay for it. Dearly. Giles balled his fists and a flash of fresh pain shot through the two fingers on his right hand that were broken by Angelus a few weeks ago. He would never be able to move them properly again.

The pain fired his anger. If Ethan wanted a slice of incredibly brassed off Watcher, that`s exactly what he was going to get.

Giles crossed the street fuming and entered the establishment. The doorman let him pass without so much as a glance. Ripper was out and looking for trouble. Best not step in the way of the well dressed academic looking guy in his fourties. San Francisco was a liberal city. The gay movement had it`s origin here. Even well respected men could stand to their sexuality now. The sight of an academic entering a gay bar was absolutely normal here. And Giles would have enjoyed his stay on any other day if his Slayer had not run off for good after being expelled from school, accused of murder and forced to send her one true love to hell. And if his own girlfriend had not died and he not suffered hours under the torture of her murderer. Sometimes the pain of Jenny`s loss was overwhelming. Sometimes his rage on Buffy was. He had done everything for her and she repayed it by running off on him first chance she got. Leaving him injured and emotionally exhausted to the mercy of two equally worn out teenagers and the clinical touch of some unknown physician at Sunnydale hospital. She had not been there when he`d needed her most.

A whif of a sweet, flowery perfume insulted Giles` senses and snapped him out of his thoughts. His way was blocked by a boy who looked roughly like Xander`s age. Dressed in leather, his long hair dyed in a rusty shade of red he eyed Giles interestingly.

"Hey daddy, want to buy me a drink?" the boy asked. For a second or two Giles didn`t know whether he shouldburst out laughing or slap the boy right in the face and tell him to go home and do his homework.

"Excuse me." he said instead, choking out his British politeness.

"I am looking for a friend." he tried to pass the boy but he stepped in his way again.

"Master Ethan?" the boy asked, grinning sheepishly.

_Master__?_ Giles though _Oh__hell.__Bloody__hell_.

Then Ripper got the best of him. He grabbed the boy by his collar, dragged him into the nearest dark corner and hissed in his face.

"Listen kid, tell me where Ethan is in this crappy little shag or your kinky little ass and that sorry excuse you`ve got for a maleness here." he slammed his hand between the boy`s legs and the teen whimpered " will get a lesson in Master/Slave games you`ll never forget." the boy`s boldness disappeared. He looked like he was ready to run home to mummy and never have a trip to sin again.

"Over th-th-there." he stammered and pointed in the direction where cozy little booths lined up at one wall.

"The th-th-third one to your right."

"Get out of here." Giles spat and shoved the boy in the direction of the door. He took the hint and lopped off. Giles marched towards the booth, causing two guys in tightly clad hotpants and short leather jackets to scoot out of his way. He sat down in front of Ethan Rayne, chaos mage and piss-off extraordinaire.

"Ripper, ol`mate, care for a drink? No need to frighten my puppy, you know. My bed will be so terribly cold now tonight."

Ethan blinked at him conspiratorially and Giles had to fight down the urge to slam his fist right in Ethan`s face.

"What do you want?" he brought out between gritted teeth.

"The question is, mate, what do you want?" Ethan covered Giles` hand with his own. Disgusted the Watcher retreated his.

"What are you playing at, Ethan?" he had trouble keeping his voice down.

"Easy Ripper, easy. Have some booze. But I`m afraid girls are not available here." Ethan chuckled.

"But it`s not as if you mind, isn`t it?"

Giles stood up and started to walk away. Another one of his games, that`s it, nothing more. He knows nothing of Buffy. Giles wanted to tear this place apart.

"Sorry Ri-Rupert, really, I am sorry." Ethan`s face took shape in the red haze before Giles` eyes.

"What do you know, tell me now or I´ll loose it, **mate**!" the Watcher bellowed. Several heads turned in their direction.

"Let`s sit down, have a drink, and I´ll tell you of your" Giles stepped on this foot "niece."

Giles told the waiter to bring whiskey and locked his eyes on Ethan. The usual slimy smile had returned to the sorcerer`s face.

"Buffy, where?" Giles asked, downing his drink.

"In San Diego. She`s working as a waitress in Charly`s Diner. Calls herself Anne."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Ethan looked perplexed. "If you expect me to know why your girl ... ."

"Why are you telling me this?" Giles interrupted.

"Just a favour I owed an old friend."

"We`re not friends, Ethan, and sometimes I think we never were."

"Oh, but we`ve been good friends, Rupert, don´t you remember? Really good friends." he padded Giles´ hand lightly.

"And all you have to do for this little piece of information you longed for so much is replacing the little toy you chased away in my bed tonight."

"Ethan ... ."

"Didn`t I tell you about the aphrodisiac in your drink? You`ll be happy to get what you want very soon." the lascivious smile widened.

"Are you sure that _you`ll_ get what _you_want?" Giles growled.

"Don`t worry, I`ve been missing it rough."

"Good, because that`s what you`ll get." Giles grabbed his collar and captured his mouth in a rough kiss.

"Where`s your room?" Ethan let him on.

The next morning saw Rupert Giles emerging early down the fire stairs of the "Humming Bird", a smile on his face.

Ethan would be so surprised when he woke up. Woke up sometime that day that was. Giles chuckled. He drank the poisoned booze willingly, knowing all the time that he would repay Ethan a hundred times that night. The sorcerer liked ropes, blindfolds and chains. But this time he`d find himself chained to the cheap bed, blindfolded and completely naked. After the sleeping draught Giles had slipped into his drink had worn off. Without his wallet, passport or any other ID he would have some explaining to do. A few hours at the local police station would surely clear his mind. If Giles was lucky a search warrant would be out for Ethan and he would spent some time behind bars anyway.

Giles sat down behind the steering wheel whistling an old English tune and counted the green notes in Ethan`s wallet. More than enough for the dreading shoes Buffy had been ranting on and on about before Angelus` dance with Acathla that had turned their world upside down. He started the engine. He would get the shoes. Then he would go to San Diego and bring Anne home. Ripper had been good for something after all. Finally.

End

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